O.A.R.
O.A.R. |
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....of a revolution. (or O.A.R.) is an American jam band consisting of Marc Roberge (vocals, guitar), Chris Culos (drums, percussion), Richard On (guitar, backing vocals), Benj Gershman (bass guitar), Jerry DePizzo (saxophone, guitar, backing vocals), and Mikel Paris (keyboards, percussion, backing vocals). Due to massive online distribution over campus networks, the band has become a hit among college students, with many songs relating to the band members' personal lives at The Ohio State University and growing up in Rockville, Maryland.
Background
The band was founded in 1996 by Marc Roberge and Chris Culos, who then recruited Richard On and Benj Gershman. The four of them graduated from Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, then moved to Columbus, Ohio to attend The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, they met Jerry DePizzo, from Youngstown, Ohio.
Without any formal marketing or advertising plans, news of their songs such as "That Was a Crazy Game of Poker", "City on Down" and "Night Shift" spread by word of mouth alone. The band played as many shows as they could, expanding from the fraternities and sororities of Ohio State to any audiences that cared to listen. This exposure paid off; their third album Risen debuted at #11 on the Billboard top internet sales chart. The following year, their fourth album Any Time Now debuted at #156 on the Billboard Top 200 list.
On October 5, 2006, a press release declared that O.A.R. had officially sold in excess of 1.2 million albums over their career.[1] The band attributes much of its popularity to the taping and subsequent trading and downloading of their live shows.
The band performs the theme song for the ABC show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. During a two-hour special that aired on December 11, 2005, they provided a street-side concert, including a live performance of "So Much", the Extreme Makeover Home Edition theme, in front of the newly redesigned Los Angeles Free Clinic.
On January 14, 2006 O.A.R. reached a new peak of popularity by drawing roughly 18,000 fans and selling out New York City's Madison Square Garden, which earned them a review in the New York Times[2]. Their music videos "Love and Memories" and "Lay Down" have been featured on VH1 and MTV, and they played three nights at the Gorge with the Dave Matthews Band. After having "Love And Memories" as their first radio hit, "Heard The World" was named in September 2006 as their second single off Stories of a Stranger. "Heard The World" has been Top 10 on many Maryland and D.C. radio stations, and "Love And Memories" still gets consistent air play on major radio stations.
O.A.R. performed at the 2006 Major League Baseball All Star Game in Pittsburgh during All Star Sunday, singing one of their top hits, "Love and Memories". They also performed at a rally to benefit Darfur in Central Park on September 17, 2006.
O.A.R. received a "Woodie" award from MTV in 2006; their video "Lay Down" won the Woodie for streaming video.
In a message to their fans, Jerry DePizzo, the band's saxophone player, announced that they are currently working on a new record that should be ready early 2008. Marc Roberge also stated on 27 December 2006 that they have over twenty new songs written and in the works.
O.A.R. made a return trip to Madison Square Garden and performed on January 27, 2007, supported by Gomez and Matt Nathanson. This show closed out their 2007 Winter tour which started in Ohio only a few weeks earlier. On June 5, 2007 the concert was released as a DVD/Double Live CD.
In June of 2007 the band's songs "Wonderful Day" and "One Shot" were used extensively by ESPN during its coverage of the 2007 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and College World Series.
The band conducted a USO tour around the Persian Gulf in late August 2007.[3][4]
O.A.R. is coming close on finishing their yet to be titled studio record. Early word on the album is for a late spring release.
Members
- Marc Roberge (1996–present)
- Chris Culos (1996–present)
- Richard On (1996–present)
- Benj Gershman (1996–present)
- Jerry DePizzo (September 21, 2000 – present)
Touring member Mikel Paris(2006-present)
Discography
Studio albums
- The Wanderer (1997)
- Souls Aflame (2000)
- Risen (2001)
- In Between Now and Then (2003)
- Stories of a Stranger (2005)
Live albums
- Any Time Now (2002)
- 34th & 8th (2004)
- Live from Madison Square Garden (2007)
Compilations
Compilation name (year, song title)
- Bonnaroo 2003 (2003, "Risen")
- Rock For Relief (2006, "James")
- MLB '06: The Show (2006, "Of A Revolution")
- Mixclusives: Volume 6 (2006, "Love & Memories")
- The Target Red Room Volume: 5 (2006, "One Shot (live)")
- Kyle XY Soundtrack (2007, "Wonderful Day")
- Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (2007, "Borrowed Time")
- For the Kids Three (2007, "Itsy Bitsy Spider")
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop 100 |
Modern Rock |
Adult Top 40 |
Adult Tracks |
Adult Recurrents | |||
| 2003 | "Hey Girl" | - | - | 26 | - | - | In Between Now & Then |
| 2005 | "Love and Memories" | 98 | 30 | 18 | 17 | 2 | Stories of a Stranger |
| 2006 | "Heard The World" | - | - | - | - | - | Stories of a Stranger |
| 2006 | "Lay Down" | - | - | - | - | - | Stories of a Stranger |
Notes
- ^ Press Release (2006). "O.A.R. Makes History With Over 1 Million Sold" marketwire.com (accessed October 6, 2006)
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/arts/music/16oar.html
- ^ O.A.R. have played multiple shows for the troops."USO Tour Schedule 2007" (accessed August 25th, 2007).
- ^ Video from Kirkuk Regional Air Base (8.28.07)"YouTube" (accessed August 30th, 2007).
External links
- O.A.R. official website
- O.A.R. official message board
- Template:Myspace
- O.A.R. @ Haystack
- Billboard.com Band Profile
- oarsa.org setlist archive, lyrics, and fan site
- Live recordings by O.A.R. at the Internet Archive
- Everfine Records
- Lead singer Marc Roberge interview with the Cornell Daily Sun